I joined the Golden Key National Honor Society on June 9th, 1997 after graduating from La Trobe University, Australia. It was a huge boost to my personal confidence at the time, but it wasn’t until my international travels brought me to Hawaii and Japan that I realized the true essence of its mission. Let me tell you a story.

I consider myself having a successful career. From Australia to Taiwan, to Japan and Hawaii, my travels have seen me work in some amazing roles (Leadership, Communications, Emotional Intelligence Trainer, People Strategist, HR Development, Technical Writer, Relationship Manager and Engineer) with top Fortune 500 companies (Ericsson, Nokia, Alcaltel-Lucent, Rakuten).

Along the way, I have won awards for employee of the year (2010 Hawaiian Telcom) to Leadership awards. I’ve managed small to medium-sized multicultural teams in Japan and even found time to invent a Japanese<->English SMS text message translation service found on most phones today.

Yet, there was one thing that constantly disappointed me in all my career positions: how people were being managed (or mismanaged). I repeatedly saw signs of micromanagement, employees being burned out, yelled at, mistreated and ultimately isolated. I experienced all of them to the point where I too became depressed and needed to consider turning things around, Mahatma Gandhi-style: “Be the change you wish to see”!

So, I consulted with 3 people at the time when my family and I were enjoying life on the beautiful Hawaiian islands: My Leadership mentor at the time, a Buddhist monk, and my incredible wife. To cut a long story short, my wife took me on an amazing spiritual journey (still on that path today); the Buddhist monk taught me how to live in the here and the now; my leadership mentor changed my life when he said, “Awards are a sign of a great achiever; but to be a great leader, you need to give back- what are you doing to give back?”.

Thus, in 2017, I founded the Silent Leadership Institute – a global training and coaching practice that focuses on executive coaching, coaching for unconditional self-compassion, providing essential soft skills programs in leadership, creativity, mindfulness, and well-being. The Silent Leadership Institute is based in Tsukuba, Japan, and offers online training and coaching across the globe. 

My why?

I’m here to help people unleash a life they love through the art of self-compassion and mindfulness, whether at work or in their personal missions. Everyone deserves to love, live and learn.

By Gabriele Angelo Ciminelli

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieleciminelli/

Marisa Duong joined Golden Key in 2017 after discovering the society through her Bachelor of Philosophy degree coordinator. Marisa was seeking the opportunity to develop her academic career and explore fields of research that interested her. After learning more about Golden Key’s philosophy, Marissa found the three pillars – Academics,  Leadership and Service – resonated strongly with her.

The committees emphasis on academics offered her a chance to network with others who share a passion for their profession.

Marisa started as the Professional Development Officer, before stepping up as the first President of the University of Western Australia Chapter. During her time with Golden Key, Marisa has gained numerous skills. Notably, she has learnt marketing and promotion skills, and improved her ability to convey compelling ideas to others.

Marisa’s goal within the UWA Chapter was to create a ripple effect throughout the Golden Key community. She says she wanted to reach out to connect future students, current students and alumni and create a group which helps each other and gives back to the community.

“The people who I worked with are so inspiring. They are what gave me a sense of community and belonging. I wanted to give back to the community that has given me so much,” Marissa says.

Marisa says seeing others strive inspires her to develop her skills, network with others, and create a strong community vision with a sense of belonging.

“The more you put in, the more you will get out of this experience,” Marissa says.

“It is not enough to idly participate. The society is much more than just a CV item. You can attend seminars, propose ideas about events to the local committee, or join the committee yourself.

“The resources and global connections you can form will not happen on their own; you must actively seek them out.”

Marisa recently submitted her PhD thesis in Biochemistry, focusing on molecular science proteomics. She is now working as a researcher at Harry Perkins – Proteomics International.

She says the importance of networking with like-minded industry professionals helped her get to where she is in her career.

In the coming years, Marisa aims to influence the direction and vision of her field,  by growing and thriving as a researcher focusing on bio-markers, early diagnosis and drug treatment.

Kitty Wong is the Community Service Officer for the University of South Australia Golden Key committee and has become an integral, hardworking member since she first joined the group in 2018.

Throughout her journey at Golden Key, she has successfully led multiple community engagement projects such as Daffodil Day for Cancer Council, Christmas Books and Toy Appeals with the Smith Family and has been a critical reason for the success of TEDxUniSA 2019, an event run entirely by students to share ideas and innovations with the world.

Kitty says since joining as the UniSA Golden Key Community Service Officer she has helped make Daffodil Day, Christmas appeals and TEDxUniSA annual projects the UniSA committee takes part in.

“These are basically the three events that I am mainly involved in, but of course, as a committee member, I help out with other events that are run by our group,” Kitty says.

Kitty was first interested in becoming the Community Service officer because she is motivated by the feeling of doing something meaningful and contributing back to the community.

“I want to help run these community service projects because I think volunteering is a core part of my values. I like to volunteer for the community and Golden Key is a great platform to help me explore these amazing opportunities.”

As well as her work on the GK Committee, Kitty is also a passionate community leader, who is a first aider of St. John Ambulance. This as well, as all her hard work in multiple community service events led to her being ‘highly commended’ for the South Australia International Student Award – Community Engagement in 2018, and the winner of said award in 2019.

Kitty says she is honoured to receive this award and was surprised to have been recognised in such a way.

“Receiving this award to me, feels like my hard work for 2018 and 2019 has been recognised. By receiving this award, I have the opportunity to share my story and share my values with other people, other international students, other local students in Adelaide,” she says.

“I think the most I get out of having this award, is I am able to share my stories and values and experiences with other students and be a motivation for them to step up.”

“If I can give the advice to any students, if you start at University, if you have the opportunity to be involved with Golden Key, just do it. What is important is you need to be involved. There is so many opportunities for you.

“If you have the opportunity, just step out and catch it. Step out of your comfort zone and just put up your hands for everything that is in front of you.”

Have you been invited to join Golden Key International Honour Society? Or would you like to join?

The first thing you need to know is that admission is available to only the top 15% of college and university sophomores, juniors and seniors, as well as to top-ranked graduate students. What is meant by top 15%? Simply put, this means that you must have achieved a GPA that falls within the top 15% at your institution. Please note that if your GPA is that high, you may also apply to be considered for admission to Golden Key and you don’t have to wait for an invitation.

Why Must You Be in the Top 15%?

If you have been invited to join Golden Key, or if you would like to apply, that might be something you are wondering.

Honor societies like Golden Key have strict admissions requirements to assure that . . .

Membership is instantly recognized as a sign of top academic achievement. If admission requirements were loosened, membership wouldn’t mean as much or say as much about what you have achieved.

Membership continues to serve as a strong credential when you are applying for graduate schools and jobs. When members list Golden Key on their resumes, graduate school applications, online profiles and elsewhere, their membership is recognized as a sign of notable achievement. If admission requirements were loosened, that wouldn’t be the case.

And Remember, Membership Is Only the Beginning

Meaningful opportunities become available to you after you are accepted into Golden Key. Through Golden Key, you can apply for special awards and scholarships, take part in service opportunities, study abroad, connect with other top academic achievers to expand your horizons and advance your academic research . . . and much more.

Your participation in Golden Key programs lets you build on the achievements that qualified you to join. Your membership allows you to leverage your academic success and, in the words of Golden Key’s mission, “Unlock Your Potential.”

An Achievement Worth Working Toward

As you enter college or pursue your undergraduate studies, why not attain and maintain that top GPA that will qualify you for membership in a top honor society? It is an achievement worth working toward. And when you join, new opportunities will be unlocked and waiting for you.

That perception is more than one leader’s opinion. It has been borne out in milestones that marked Golden Key’s 40 years of evolution . . .

Students saw Golden Key’s promise at once, and within a few months of that initial induction ceremony in November 1977, efforts began to open new chapters. By the end of 1978, six Golden Key chapters had been established at the University of Georgia, the University of Florida, and other campuses. Chapters began to engage in service projects in the communities where they were located. The Society hired its first staff people and opened its first office to organize programs of foreign study for members.
Then in 1982, the first annual national Golden Key Conference was held in Atlanta. Members connected, shared service opportunities, and the founding values of Golden Key began to resonate on a deeper level. The value of bringing together members was clear and one year later, the first annual Golden Key Regional Conference took place at Michigan State.

The value of offering financial assistance to students began to take life. By 1984, Golden Key had awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships to members. In that same year, the 50^th Golden Key chapter opened at San Diego State University.

In 1985, Golden Key was able to purchase a building to house its national headquarters and a remarkable period of growth began. Corporate sponsors NCR and Peat Marwick came on board and fostered continuing growth.
In 1993, Golden Key opened chapters in Australia. New chapters were established in Malaysia, Canada and other countries and in 2000, the Society changed its name to Golden Key International Honour Society.
Success has followed success. By 2010, Golden Key reached the milestone of having 2 million members. And by 2011, the Society was annually awarding more than $1 million in scholarships to members.

Golden Key Today  

Today, Golden Key International Honour Society is a widely recognized and highly regarded collegiate honor society that prides itself on operating with integrity and transparency at over 400 colleges and universities worldwide.
Golden Key maintains offices in Australia, South Africa and the United States. Its international headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia
Golden Key International Honour Society is governed by an independently elected Board of Directors comprised of highly regarded professionals from universities, businesses and not for profits. These voluntary board members receive no compensation and are legally responsible for ensuring that the Society operates within its charter and in accordance with the various laws and regulations within the jurisdictions where Golden Key operates.
As its 40^th year begins, almost 2.5 million high achieving students have joined Golden Key.  Many members are Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars. Two Governor Generals of Australia, a former Canadian Prime Minister, astronauts, university presidents and other notables such as Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu, Bill Ford and Elie Wiesel have proudly accepted honorary membership into the Society.

“We are not resting on our accomplishments,” says Executive Director Brad Rainey. And what accomplishments they are – 40 years’ worth.

Rainey adds, “Golden Key’s values, mission, history, accomplishments, and students have built a robust platform for a bright future of supporting students as Golden Key helps to create the world leaders of the future.”
 
Are you eligible? Click here to find out!

So that’s what I grew up watching (meaning hard work). And today, what I teach others and say to my children is that everybody is going to have different abilities. Everyone is going to have a different strategy for success, and everybody can achieve different things academically. But underneath all of that is the question, “Are you willing to work hard or not?”

For me, working long hours has been a key to success. A few years back when I was in public accounting, I sent an email to my managing partner at 9:00 p.m. and he replied, “Are you still in the office?”
I replied and said, “I have read that all successful people work at least 12 hours a day. I figured if I work 13, I’ll get there faster.”
 
What a story. When did you come to the United States?
Adnan Bokhari: I came in 1994, when I was just shy of 16 years old. It was my first international travel, and traveling by myself was quite fascinating and also frightening. My older brother, who is seven years older than I, was already here, living in Virginia. I moved in with him. There was just enough space in his room for two small beds, and that’s where I lived.
 
And did you attend university after you got here?
Adnan Bokhari: I did. I went to Strayer College, which is now Strayer University. I went there because they offered me the chance to take my visitor visa and use it to open the way to a student visa. So that was the opportunity there.

I am pretty sure I was the youngest student at Strayer. I was 16 years old.

 
What did you study?
Adnan Bokhari: I started with economics, just because I was 16 years old and didn’t know anything. My brother was doing an undergrad degree in economics, so I started studying economics too, and I got my Associates degree.
I then shifted to accounting and earned a bachelor’s degree in that field, because that’s where the jobs were in the D.C. area at the time, around year 2000. My Strayer education prepared me to take the CPA exam. I was able to pass the exam and I went into public accounting. In the firm, I continued to work closely with nonprofits and after working there for seven years, I moved to Prosperity Now (then Corporation for Enterprise Development) as its Chief Financial Officer. I’ve been with them since 2011, and two years ago, my role was expanded to Chief Operating Officer. So I’ve spent the last 17 years or so working in the nonprofit sector. My focus has been on building financial resiliency in nonprofits and creating operational excellence.
 
At what point did you first encounter Golden Key?
Adnan Bokhari: I got involved in Golden Key as a member of the Finance Committee, not yet a board member. I was introduced by Jerry Sullivan, who was the Executive Director of the American Association of College-Age Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), an accounting client of mine. He thought that given my expertise in nonprofit finance, I could be of value to Golden Key.
And as I thought about Golden Key members I was reminded about my father. As I said earlier, he had potential and was willing to work hard. I thought about people who at different times had opened different doors and helped him. In his early years, someone helped him get admitted to grade school by giving him a chance to retake a test. Another person helped pay for part of his law school tuition, without being asked. These “door openers” helped him climb the economic ladder from extreme poverty and even eventually to send all four of his children to a school where Prime Ministers and their children go.

So in Golden Key, I saw an opportunity to open doors for students.

As we know, there is a widening opportunity and income gap not just in the United States, but globally. I care deeply about this issue because of my background. And Golden Key opens doors for the top 15 percent of students in their colleges. When I was a student at Strayer, I did not have Golden Key at my side helping me. But Golden Key has helped me connect with thousands of talented students. We have cumulatively more than two million members and every year, more than 30,000 to 40,000 new members join. That’s a lot of opportunity to make a difference.
 
There are leadership opportunities within the Golden Key campus chapters?
Adnan Bokhari: Yes, but not just on campus. Golden Key is committed to developing the next generation of leaders. We have entire international and regional summit agendas dedicated to leadership development.  Golden Key members learn critical skills while in college and have a leg up when they enter the workforce.
 
So it is safe to assume that you would recommend Golden Key to students who qualify for membership, correct?
Adnan Bokhari: There are many organizations that are trying to do good work on behalf of students, but Golden Key stands out in a few important ways. One is that it’s the largest honor society. The other is its higher educational standard.
In my own student years, I didn’t have the luxury of being a full-time student. I was working full time while I was taking courses. At Golden Key, we allocate a portion of our budget for scholarships, about half a million dollars every year, to help ease the financial burden of college. Golden Key also offers leadership opportunities to all our student members and opportunities to give back to the community.

So my question to students would be, “Why wouldn’t you join Golden Key?” Think about the opportunity cost. There’s no better alternative for the time that you spend while you are in college.

Are you eligible to join Golden Key?

Like any organisation the more you get involved the more you gain. There is no doubt that involvement in the chapter committees leads to special experiences and opens up processes of thought and learning that would otherwise not be possible in an ordinary academic programme. Experiences like the service activities offered through GK leave an indelible mark on the thinking of the bright young people that join.

Two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans GK held an international summit there. Our service project was to help the elderly whose houses had been completely flooded and who had lost all of their possessions in the flooding. When they were forced to go back to their old homes which had been lifted off of their foundations and shifted by 5 to 15° by the power of the water, they were too poor to be able to recreate what they had lost. The GK participants at that summit descended upon the area in various working groups. The 600 plus students and a small number of advisers restored overgrown gardens, carried out essential maintenance inside houses, painted and rebuilt damaged parts of homes, but above all through their enthusiasm and warmth gave those left in this area a new sense of hope.
 
Would you encourage students to join Golden Key? What do you believe they can gain from membership?
Derek Swemmer: Yes. Membership entitles them to include the fact that they are in the top 15% of performing students in the range of degrees for which they are registered. This marks them out as potentially high performing future employees. In addition, their involvement in the activities of the GK chapters helps to imbue in them the ethos of service, the importance of leadership, and the beauty of enriching their minds through their academic excellence. There are few organisations that provide all three of these opportunities even as they network with the future leaders of the world.
 
Golden Key inspires people to stretch and to achieve more than they previously believed were possible. There is real joy in serving others and doing so with integrity and commitment.
 
Are you eligible to join Golden Key?